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Showtime boss: Mayweather fight exceeds 1M PPV buys

The Twitterati has been abuzz in recent days speculating on the less-than stellar pay-per-view buy numbers for Showtime's telecast of Floyd Mayweather's unanimous decision dismantling of Robert Guerrero last

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Showtime boss: Mayweather fight exceeds 1M PPV buys

Bob Velin, USA TODAY Sports
2:34 p.m. EDT May 10, 2013

Floyd Mayweather avoids a punch thrown by Robert Guerrero during their WBC welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last Saturday. Mayweather won a unanimous decision.(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)

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Showtime says the Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero fight sold more than 1M PPV buys

The Twitterati has been abuzz in recent days speculating on the less-than stellar pay-per-view buy numbers for Showtime's telecast of Floyd Mayweather's unanimous decision dismantling of Robert Guerrero last Saturday.

Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza told USA TODAY Sports Friday that the show in fact exceeded 1 million buys, and that the numbers are still coming in.

"I'm surprised at the amount of mischaracterizations, unfounded assumptions and wrong information that has been circulating," Espinoza said. "The reality is that before today it would have been irresponsible to make any assumptions on the pay-per-view buys. The information just wasn't there. It's like calling the election just a few minutes after the polls close. Sometimes you guess right, but a lot of times you'll be issuing retractions later on.

"In this case, the information we received through the end of this week tells us is that we are definitely going to exceed a million buys."

Two weeks ago, Espinoza told USA TODAY that he would be thrilled if Mayweather-Guerrero exceeded Showtime's goal of 1.5 million buys. A million or so buys is more than 30% below that goal, but above the numbers thrown around on Twitter late this week that Showtime would not come close to a million buys.

"I've also heard statements that we're going to have significant financial losses in this. To be candid, I'm baffled by what the basis is for any of those statements, because they're inaccurate," he said. "There's no other way to say it. We consider this performance a big win for everyone involved. For Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, for Robert Guerrero, for Showtime and for all of our colleagues at CBS.

"The event was a success from every way you can measure it -- financial, programming, in terms of the quality of the fights -- we're very happy with the event as a whole."

Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs), who signed a six-fight deal with Showtime that could be worth more than $200 million, put on a clinical boxing display against Guerrero, connecting on an astounding 60% of his power punches. However, late in the fight, there was booing from the crowd, and some fans were seen filing out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena as the 12th round was about to start.

"It was a clinic," Espinoza said. "The level of technical skill and artistry that Floyd displayed in that fight was amazing to watch. It's like watching an artist or dancer at the pinnacle of their performance in seeing the precision with which he operates. And you're right in that it can be a little monotonous because he is so effective.

"But, there's a big part of the audience that appreciates the skill level and the artistry he displayed. And for anyone who doesn't quite get it, I encourage them to watch Floyd live in the arena. It's even a more compelling display of what he's doing in the ring. It's scientific."

Asked about Guerrero's unwillingness to engage with the media prior to the fight following his arrest a few weeks before the fight at JFK Airport for trying to bring an unloaded gun aboard an airplane, as well as his limited fan base, Espinoza said it did have some effect on the promotion.

"It was a little bit difficult for Robert to talk (to the media) shortly following the incident at JFK because everyone wanted to ask him about that incident and he was getting legal advice that he really shouldn't address it at all. So yes, it hampered Robert's ability to participate," he said

"You're also right to point out that we didn't have the benefit of high visibility or Guerrero's participation in other PPV fights to boost his awareness. And that's what makes these numbers so impressive. Even without the benefit of a well-known, well-established opponent, for this event to be able to generate over a million pay-per-view buys, a number which no one else does in the current market, just reconfirms Floyd's drawing power."

As for Mayweather's next opponent, Espinoza was asked about the possibility of a Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez matchup -- two undefeated fighters, bolstered by Alvarez's tremendous drawing power in his native Mexico.

"In my conversations with Floyd and his team, he generally wants to take on the best opponent for each fight," Espinoza said. "Certainly the most intriguing, and arguably the best opponent would be Canelo. And it's something that Floyd's interested in, Canelo's interested in, and I'd love to have it as well.

"So preliminary talks have started. There haven't been any big issues, and I'm cautiously optimistic we're going to do everything we can to make that fight happen."

The bottom line, Espinoza said, is that Showtime was ultimately happy with its first Mayweather fight, and he was not happy with the way it has been characterized in the media.

"As I said, I was mystified by all the speculation and characterizations that we'd be losing millions on this, because there's no basis for it, and secondly, it's not true," Espinoza said. "We consider this event a success in all aspects, from financial to programming to the staging of the event to the enjoyment of the fans.

"We think this event has done wonders for the Showtime brand. It signals that we are going to continue to be in boxing at the highest level. We're going to be providing our subscribers with the biggest fights, and the rumors of our financial demise were quite simply untrue."

And, Espinoza said, he has no regrets over the landmark Mayweather deal.

"We're happy with the deal, no regrets whatsoever," he said. "Floyd is happy, no regrets. Ultimately the two parties that are closest to the deal, if we're happy, then really there shouldn't be any other questions about the deal."

Showtime will air the replay of the Mayweather-Guerrero welterweight title fight and the Abner Mares-Daniel Ponce de Leon featherweight title match on the undercard on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT.